2015 Deer season - Rut reports

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MLR
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by MLR »

Interesting, I wouldn't even think of letting the dogs off on someone elses property to run deer. I would expect to hear a a couple of gun shots, and "treed" come up on the location of the garmin dog collar.

I am too naive at times

We have the luxury of have deep creeks at both sides and a river at one end of the acreage and chase from the the other end towards them. Our dogs are afraid of water so they won't cross.

Rubs and scrapes in the hardwoods in 57
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C5
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

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I knew this stir up discussion and look... this is a discussion amongst hunters.. the last thing we need is dissension getting outside of our “community”. I too did hunt with dogs… but back in the 70’s. Since then I have far more enjoyed still and standing hunting.
So before going off on who owns the deer.. the dog runs “across” the property and I don’t care how well trained the dogs are they will chase.. all the handers can do is try to setup to their best advantage. The locals here that run dogs take the time to train them etc. and do their best the control them… this is not an attack on guys that hunt with dogs, and especially not those near my place.
Back in the day hunters had wide swaths of lands to hunt and often all the landowners were involved. Today there just isn’t possible. Houses and small acreages permeate the rural areas and not all farmers or large landowners want hunters and /or their dogs on the property.
I agree with many of the comments above with respect to the sound of hounds tonguing and the excitement and primal feeling it invokes in the soul and I have benefited from dogs moving deer.. no doubt about it.
Having said that, I like to still and stand hunt. I spend considerable time, energy and money to create/enhance deer and turkey habitat on land that I own and pay taxes on. (actually my wife owns and lets me use it?) During gun season my enjoyment of the hunt is negatively impacted… that is fact.
I have the luxury of selecting a couple of bucks to pattern and hunt… and I know this is not available to everyone. But I put a bunch of time into it. Half the fun over the whole season is slowly closing in on the those big bucks during daylight. I have enjoyed success with this approach.
My solution? Hunt the archery season and hope that during gun season my place becomes refuge and they like it and stay around? My job is to create the ambiance to have them hang around.
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smitty55
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by smitty55 »

Nice mounts. Looks like you're doing things right.
I'm not sure I follow you though. Is it your preference to only bow hunt or is it strictly because of the chance of dogs running through your property during the rifle hunt?
Besides that, it certainly seems like a good strategy to let your property, or sections of it anyway, sit for a while and hope that the family units find refuge there, which will of course attract the big lads. Good luck this season.

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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by C5 »

thanks for the note Smitty... I avoid the issue and the heartburn by not hunting much during the rifle season... my choice and I have developed a great appreciation for the archery season before and after rifle...

best of luck to you this season... enjoy!
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

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Some serious headgear on the wall Ron!! Archery and still hunting are deer hunting in it's purest form in my opinion.
Good luck again this season!
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by C5 »

thanks Len! you too!!
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by CCLad »

Judging by the posts on this thread - I'd venture to say the rut is starting up. Thanks to all who posted info for the rest of us. Will be heading to the camp tomorrow - really looking forward to it! Love this time of the year... Good luck to all of you fellow hunters, be safe have a blast - and keep a keen set of eye's and listen well :)

64 A - Ashton area - still have yet to see any sign of the rut... :shock:

That said, I have found two sets of really nice buck tracks in our area - so hopefully one of our group ( there is only 3 and or 4 on some days) will be in the right spot at the right time.

Good luck all - Happy hunting!!!
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by Troutskiii »

CClad.....do you hunt 64a? Just noticed you mentioned the ashton area, I'm just southwest of ashton. Haven't seen to many scraps or rubs around here either but have been picking up lots of deer on the trail cams, both soe's and bucks finally. Now that the corn has come down there all flooding into the fields at dusk.

Good luck on your hunt!

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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by Maple »

smitty55 wrote:Good idea Tim. Gives one thread for guys to post to. (No offense Birdee) As for the rut, it's actually the amount of daylight hours that determines rut activity and hormone levels. Not that cold weather won't get them moving more, but the peak of the rut itself is always withing a 3 or 4 day window every year. That being said, I would expect that some rub lines and minor scraping activity should be showing up within a week or so. Good luck out there guys.

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So, Smitty 55 on what calendar date would you say the rut 'usually' starts around here? I've not heard anyone put their finger on it so accurately. Interesting.
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by smitty55 »

Maple I guess it depends on what you actually mean by the "rut" If you're referring to the chasing phase I would say around now it will be starting, then as does come closer to estrous bucks will be tending for a while, then the actual breeding is generally around the middle of the month. In my experience, and from talking to countless other hunters from other camps, the big lads certainly seem to be on the move way more during daylight hours and generally seem to be unnaturally careless during the second week of November. I recall a few years ago when a big buck wouldn't leave a nice doe, even though they were only 40 yds from the side of a busy road. There were 3 cars stopped taking pictures and that buck didn't care at all. This was 2 days after the close of rifle season. Another year we spent the whole day in the bush not far from here on the last day of the season and saw squat. I almost should have stayed at home that day as my wife spent a half hour watching from the living room window as a 10 pointer was being led around by a doe like a little puppy.

Now some folks do try and link the rut to lunar phases, with rut starting after the "rutting moon", which is the second full moon after the fall equinox. This leads to quite a bit of variance over the years. For example , this year it's Oct 27, in 2014 it was Nov 6, and in 2013 it was Nov 17. Now I don't subscribe to this myself, but if one did they should be in chase mode already this year and be tending by Nov 3, which would make this a year for an early rut peak. There really isn't much in the way of scientific evidence to support this theory however.

On the scientific side of this, there is lots of evidence that rut activity is directly related to daylight hours, and that does will come into estrous around the same days from year to year. I found this on the wiredtohunt site. QDMA would have good info too.

"On the other side of the aisle, when it comes to rut timing theories, many other biologists and whitetail experts believe that the timing of the actual rut (peak breeding) is NOT variable nor impacted by lunar factors (excluding some Southern US regions – where rut timing is very scattered). In fact, according to many studies, the actual peak of breeding appears to be consistent year after year.

According to a recent publication from The Quality Deer Management Association, “The bottom line is northern whitetails have a narrow breeding window to optimize doe and fawn health and survival. This is why numerous studies across the northern United States and Canada looking at conception dates show very little year-to-year variation. In fact, these breeding dates are amazingly consistent from year to year – regardless of moon phase, weather patterns, or other variables.”

Expanding on this point, QDMA Director of Communications Lindsay Thomas Jr explains “The science on this is decisive. A significant number of scientific, peer-reviewed studies have shown the timing of the rut in any particular location is triggered by photoperiod, or day length – not by the moon, or temperature, or anything else…I think hunters often confuse visible rut behaviors, like chasing and grunting, with the peak of breeding. When you document breeding dates in a location, they actually change very little year to year, even though the dates of peak rut behaviors might vary. That’s because weather, moon phase and food sources – things that fluctuate widely year to year – affect deer movement patterns. But even when the weather reduces deer movement, you find that breeding still takes place the same time it normally does. If a doe is coming into estrous, a warm front isn’t going to change that.”

In another article produced by the Quality Deer Management Association, it was explained that, “Scientists have known for decades that the length of daylight each day, which fluctuates throughout the seasons, serves as the trigger for hormone changes in deer that bring on breeding and the rut – though the timing of the trigger varies widely in different regions and deer populations for several other reasons. But stories persist among hunters that the moon plays a role.”

That said, Rod Cumberland, a deer management biologist for the Canadian province of New Brunswick, conducted a study examining a data set of more than 1,600 does providing fetal data across nine years to determine conception dates. The chart below, produced by the QDMA, shows the results of that analysis, and the fact that peak breeding is very consistent. According to the researchers, “our analysis revealed that the relationship between annual breeding dates and moon phase chronology was highly variable. Therefore, we believe it is not necessary to revise the conventional understanding among deer biologists that breeding dates are primarily influenced by photoperiod (day length) and are relatively consistent among years within a particular population.”

For more on this fascinating study, click the image below for a full size view or visit the original article on QDMA.com by clicking this link –> No Link Between Moon Phase and Rut Peak

moon_phase_diagram_574_810_s

Bill Winke of Midwest Whitetail.com seems to concur with all of this, as he is quoted saying” “I have not seen a rut predictor that was actually more accurate than the calendar. The rut is triggered by photoperiod – the amount of sunlight (number of hours) in each day. As the season progresses, that triggers the rut at pretty much the same time every year. You may see more behavior on certain days than others related to weather or hunting pressure, but the actual conception dates of the does are pretty consistent from year to year. Missouri recently did a study back-dating fetuses from late season harvested does and they proved that over a three year period the peak breeding date (the date when the most does were in estrous) was November 15 plus or minus one day. I always like to hunt during the week that starts ten days before the peak. In this case November 5 – 12. It is tough to beat that time frame. ”

Of course YMMV. One thing I do know for sure, anytime is a good time to be hunting, as it's kinda hard to shoot a deer from the couch. But, if I have a choice and want to fill a buck tag I will always choose the second week over the first.

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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by RJ »

One less for you fellas hunting Ashton area. Birdee tagged out tonight with me by her side... :wink:

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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by Troutskiii »

Congrats to Birdee!!!! Was inches away from taking out a big buck tonight with my truck on my way into work just down the road from my house. Glad I avoided it, would much rather take it down with my Bow.
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

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Congrats Birdee that's a nice size doe!
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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by smitty55 »

RJ wrote:One less for you fellas hunting Ashton area. Birdee tagged out tonight with me by her side... :wink:

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Woo Hoo! Way to go Birdee. That looks to be a real nice dry doe and prime table fare. Any story to the hunt?? Now you just need to get Rob hunting...

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Re: 2015 Deer season - Rut reports

Post by RJ »

I'll never be a hunter Smitty. Not that I don't enjoy the process but I really get a kick out of watching Birdee prep and enjoy her hunt. Sitting with her when it all goes down is fun.

I'll get something up on our site in a few days. Short story is 2 Does showed up, one died. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks folks. Though she's now 6 deer in 7 years she still on Cloud 9 after each successful hunt.

RJ
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